CHAPTER 6.

ARTICLES AND NOUNS

 ARTICLES

(1) THE + SINGULAR/PLURAL NOUNS

Ex: The names of the authors of the books on the top shelf
(2) A/AN + SINGULAR NOUNS
Ex: Is this an old Rolls Royce?
(3) Sometimes nouns are used with NO ARTILCES
Ex: Girls are quicker than boys/Do you take milk or tea?
 NOUNS

(1) NO ARTICLE + PROPER NOUNS (people’s names/places,

organizations, days, months, special occasions)
Ex: Taylor Swift, Vietnam, South Korea, NATO, Monday, July,
Christmas, ….
(2) THE + PROPER NOUNS (plural forms)
Ex: The Williams, the Nguyens, the Arabs, the Netherlands, the
United States, the Middle Ages
 NOUNS

(3) THE + PROPER NOUNS (singular forms)

Ex: the Queen, the United Kingdom, the BBC, the Eiffel Tower, the
White House, the Gulf War, ….
(4) A/AN + COMMON NOUNS (singular Countable Nouns)
Ex: Have a cup of tea.
(5) EACH + COMMON NOUNS (singular Countable Nouns)
Ex: Each child should be given a book.
 NOUNS

(6) UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS (abstract concept, an activity, a

substance, a material)
NO ARTICLE + UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
Ex: Her poem is about freedom and happiness.
MUCH + UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
Ex: She’s filled with much positive energy
 A/AN OR THE

(1) When we mention someone or something for the first time, we

use A/AN + NOUN
(2) When we repeat the information, use THE + NOUN
Ex: She adopted a dog from the animal shelter last month (1). The
dog has become very playful (2).
 A/AN OR THE
(3) A/AN is used for classifying things (a member of a group)
/people (by what they do, believe), in definitions, descriptions, and
an example of the kind of thing mentioned.
Ex: It’s a comedy.
He’s a scientist/vegetarian.
A dolphin isn’t a fish, it’s a mammal.
The professor has a bright smile.
His car is a Mercedes.
 A/AN OR THE

(4) We use ‘THE’ for something familiar in daily lives and in the
physical world outside.
Ex:
- I can’t find the remote control. How can I turn on the TV?
- Please don’t mention the sun, the sky, the earth, the weather or the
environment today.
 A/AN OR THE

(5) We use ‘THE’ to identify people with their jobs, unique roles in
society, and we use ‘THE’ for professional organizations.
Ex:
- Are you having an appointment with the dentist tomorrow?
- Would you recognize the Pope, the Emperor of Japan, the Dalai
Lama or the Queen?
- He joined the army last year.
 A/AN OR THE

(6) We use ‘THE’ for a general concept for things( an invention, musical
instrument)/people/animals, and we’re not referring to a specific example.
Ex: The dog is always faithful. (any dog)
The customer isn’t always right. (any customer)
Can you play the guitar?
The computer was the greatest invention in the 19th century.
 A/AN OR THE

(7) We use ‘THE’ when the ‘NOUNS’ are determined by the phrases
that come after them
Ex: It’s the driver who has just caused the accident.
The book on the top shelf is a classic.
The car in the garage is brand new
 A/AN OR THE

(8) We use ‘THE’ before superlative or emphasizing adjectives

Ex: The best part about living in this neighborhood is that we
have easy access to a whole range of amenities.
The only/main reason for me not joining you is my lack of
interest
 A/AN OR ONE

(1) We use A/AN or ONE for a single person/thing

Ex: A university/One year/
(2) We use ONE to emphasize the number
Ex: We have room for one passenger
 A/AN OR ONE

(3) We use ONE for exact numbers, A/AN for approximate

amounts and fractions
Ex: One hundred pounds/One thousand two hundred students
A day and a half
Almost a hundred students.
 A/AN OR NO ARTICLE

(4) We use A/AN to mean STH as a single unit

Ex: I’d like a cappuccino.
There’s a chicken on a plate.
(5) We use NO ARTICLE to mean STH is not a single
unit/uncountable
Ex: I don’t like to eat chicken.
 A/AN OR NO ARTICLE

(6) We use A/AN to talk about a single example or instance of a

more general thing and NO ARTICLE to talk about something
general
Ex: We bought a cheap wine/I hate cheap wine.
I have a fear of heights/Fear of heights is very common.
 THE OR NO ARTICLE

(1) We use THE + NOUN (uncountable)/NOUN (plurals) for

specific meaning, and NO ARTICLE for general meaning
Ex: The dogs next door are friendly.
The children have spent the money we gave them.
They’re always talking about money
 THE OR NO ARTICLE

(2) We don’t use ‘THE’ for a field of study/a subject. But we use
‘THE’ for those words when they are defined by ‘of phrases’
Ex: Psychology is not his major.
The psychology of teenagers is quite complicated.
My sister teaches literature/The literature of 19th century is rich
and varied.
 THE OR NO ARTICLE

(3) We use ‘THE’ with nouns to talk about a specific time/place

and no article with the same nouns.
We usually return home at Christmas.
That was the Christmas I will never forget.
Is your cousin at university?
The University of Michigan is a prestigious academic institution.
 THE OR NO ARTICLE

(4) We use NO ARTICLE in prepositional phrases referring to

general concepts
By + [a means of transport] By hand
Ex: by car/train/coach…. By phone
By email With ease
Go to bed At work
At home With care
In public By accident
On foot For fun
Under pressure With confidence
For sale For example
In danger By mistake
 THE OR NO ARTICLE

(5) We use NO ARTICLE to talk about sports

Ex: She doesn’t like playing golf.
 COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE USES

(1) A/AN or NO ARTICLE?

- She owns … business.
- …….Business/business is booming.
- Did you hear …. noise?
- There’s too much …noise.
- There’s …… hair in the cup of tea/She’s got long….hair.
 COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE USES

(1) A/AN or NO ARTICLE?

- She owns … business. a
- …….Business/business is booming. no article
- Did you hear …. noise? a
- There’s too much …noise. no article
- There’s ……a hair in the cup of tea/She’s got long….hair. no article
 COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE USES

(2) We can use UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS with piece or drop in

phrases which are COUNTABLE
Ex:
Blood was everywhere on the floor.
I could see drops of blood.
Nobody likes moving furniture/There are a few pieces of furniture.
COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE USES

UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS COUNTABLE PHRASES

Bravery An act of bravery

Cheese A bit of cheese
Water A bottle of water
Milk A carton of milk
Concrete A chunk of concrete
Information Items of information
Paper Sheets of paper
Bread Slices of bread
 PAIR NOUNS

Pair nouns (scissors/pants/sneakers/glasses/goggles…) + V (plural)

Ex: These scissors aren’t sharp.
A pair of + NOUN (pair nouns) + V (sing.)
Ex: A good pair of goggles is hard to find. There’s a nice pair on sale.
I think you’d better get them. In fact, you can buy two pairs.
(Incorrect: Two goggles)
 GROUP NOUNS

The public
The government
The audience
The band
The club
The committee + V (sing/plural) → PRONOUN (sing/plural)
The family
The jury
The majority
The parliament
The team
 GROUP NOUNS

Example:
1. The public is interested in the new policy. It wants more information.
2. The public are discussing various issues.They have different opinions.
3. The committee is discussing the proposal. It is considering all options.
4. The committee are presenting their findings.They are recommending changes.
5. The family is going on vacation. It plans to visit Europe.
6. The family are gathering for a reunion. They are reminiscing about old times.
 PLURAL AND SINGULAR NOUNS

(1) Plural nouns are words with distinct meanings that are not
used in singular.
CLOTHES CONGRATULATIONS GROCERIES
THANKS BELONGINGS MANNERS
OUTSKIRTS REMAINS SURROUNDINGS
TROOPS

CATTLE POLICE POULTRY

CLERGY PEOPLE
 PLURAL AND SINGULAR NOUNS

(2) Singular nouns are words that end in –s, but are used with
singular verbs (usually STUDIES/ACTIVITIES/DISEASES)
STATISTICS AEROBICS DIABETES
PHYSICS BILLIARDS MEASLES
ELECTRONICS ATHLETICS MUMPS
 POSSESSIVE OR COMPOUND NOUNS

(1) When something belongs to a person or a thing :

POSSESSIVE NOUNS
Ex:
The restaurant’s menu
Teacher’s qualities
The school’s facilities
 POSSESSIVE OR COMPOUND NOUNS

(2) How to form POSSESSIVE NOUNS

[NOUN]’S + NOUN
Ex:The teacher’s rules
[NOUN]S’ + NOUN
Ex: Charles’ stories
 POSSESSIVE OR COMPOUND NOUNS

(3) We can use POSSESSIVE NOUNS without a following noun

It’s a film of Hitchcock’s.
She’s a friend of Margaret’s.
He has Alzheimer’s.
She’s at the doctor’s.
We stayed at Tom’s.
 POSSESSIVE OR COMPOUND NOUNS

(4) We can use ‘of phrases’

The development of industry
The concerns of students
The arm of the chair
The cost of repairs
------------------------
We MUST use ‘of phrases’ when possessor is a long phrase.
Ex: What was the name of that girl in Amsterdam?
He’s the son of the woman we met in Boston.
 POSSESSIVE OR COMPOUND NOUNS

(2) A combination of things : use compound nouns

(LOOK AT PAGE 76 for more reference)
ASSOCIATED AND CONDENSED INFORMATION

(1) We can use ‘THE’ when the information is associated

+ Between two different nouns:
She has purchased a house recently. The garden is really
spacious.
+ Between a verb and a noun:
She worked very hard, and the pay was worth her efforts.
ASSOCIATED AND CONDENSED INFORMATION

(2) We can use ‘THE’ when the information is condensed, based

on the elements of the previous sentences.
Ex: You have to fill out the form to apply for a job. The job
application form can be downloaded from the Internet.
We discussed a strategy to increase sales. The sales increase
strategy implementation plan was ambitious.